Stamford National loses in Section 1 Little League opener

Rich DePreta

Updated 10:24 pm, Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Photo: Mark Conrad

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Stamford National shortstop Shane Hackett can't get the tag on Edgewood's Noah Plantamuro in time and the runner was safe at second during a section 1 little league game played at McGuane Field, Darien, CT on Wednesday Jily 17th, 2013. less

Stamford National shortstop Shane Hackett can't get the tag on Edgewood's Noah Plantamuro in time and the runner was safe at second during a section 1 little league game played at McGuane Field, Darien, CT on ... more

Photo: Mark Conrad

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Stamford National's Sean Mailhot is safe at first during a section 1 little league game against Edgewood played at McGuane Field, Darien, CT on Wednesday Jily 17th, 2013.

Stamford National's Sean Mailhot is safe at first during a section 1 little league game against Edgewood played at McGuane Field, Darien, CT on Wednesday Jily 17th, 2013.

Photo: Mark Conrad

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Stamford National's Nick Melia rounds third after hitting a home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning during a section 1 little league game against Edgewood played at McGuane Field, Darien, CT on Wednesday Jily 17th, 2013.

Stamford National's Nick Melia rounds third after hitting a home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning during a section 1 little league game against Edgewood played at McGuane Field, Darien, CT on Wednesday Jily

But that didn't stop District 5 champion Edgewood and District 1 champion Stamford National from their version of a Little League Home Run Derby in the Section 1 Tournament opener.

Each side sent six roundtrippers over the fence toward a squadron of helplessly parked SUVs as Edgewood of Bristol posted a 23-10 four-inning triumph.

The loss means Stamford National battles District 3 champ Seymour Thursday at 5:45 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Park LL field in North Stamford. District 4 champ Orange downed Seymour, 8-2 Wednesday night. So Thursday's Seymour-Stamford National loser heads home for good in the five-team, double-elimination bracket.

Edgewood will face District 2 winner Westport Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Springdale LL field on Hope St. in Stamford. Westport did not play Wednesday.

"I wasn't surprised by our hitting," said Edgewood manager Rick Fredette. "I was a little disappointed we played scoreboard toward the end. We know we will have our hands full with Westport. When these kids were playing Little League age 9-10 they faced Westport in the state championship game. Last year we lost in our district final so we're hungry."

Edgewood jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning and made it 9-0 after two innings. Cory Fredette (grand slam), Josh Nahilly (solo HR) and Macgregor Goulet (solo HR) went back-to-back-to-back in the second inning.

Edgewood preserved its pitching for later in the tourney by scoring 12 runs on nine hits in the top of the fourth.

Although Stamford National responded with five runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, it was simply too little, too late.

"Edgewood really bangs the ball," said Stamford National manager Kevin Hackett. "We just had one of those nights. We made a lot of mistakes."

But the heart of the Stamford National batting order gave their fans some hope for the future.

Shane Hackett crushed a two-run homer in the third and a three-run blast in the fourth. Nick Melia went back-to-back and belly-to-belly with Hackett in both frames with solo homers.

Joel Lopez and Tevin St. John also went yard for Stamford National, which was forced to use four pitchers in the contest.

"Our message to the kids was `It's just one loss,' " Kevin Hackett said. "We made it more difficult on ourselves. But we faced a similar scenario in the District 1 tournament. We lost to Norwalk and kept winning. We were down 7-0 to North Stamford and rallied to win.

"We will come back on Thursday. We're not done yet," Hackett continued. "This team just scraps and scraps and fights and fights. We're ready to comeback yet again."